Delighted by the mystery surrounding the pearls, Debra ran them through her fingers. They were too fine to stay hidden—they should be enjoyed, admired, and cherished. In fact, they’d go perfectly with her sweaters and black dresses. Despite her aunt’s warning, she could no more leave them in a metal container than tear down Lacy’s house.
She took the velvet box and left the room. Then, after canceling the rental on the safety deposit box, she left the bank.
In the car, she unlatched the clasp and secured the pearls around her throat. She giggled when she looked into the mirror above the dashboard. Though the delicate strand complimented her blue eyes and ash-blonde hair, she felt like a little girl playing dress-up. She’d never owned anything half as valuable as the pearls.
When she arrived home, she found an envelope propped against the door. She opened it to find a sympathy card from the neighbor next door, Mrs. Morgan, a relative of Lacy’s lawyer. Aunt Lacy had lived in this house for many years and knew several of her neighbors well.
Though Mrs. Morgan was elderly now, Debra suspected she would devote much of the time she sat at her window or on the porch to keeping an eye on Debra and the house. She was a lovely woman whom Debra had known since childhood when she spent summers with her aunt.
After she entered the house, Debra draped her jacket over a chair, for the morning had grown warm. She made a glass of tea and carried it to the back garden where little had changed since her childhood. Ferns still bordered the house and lily pads floated in the fountain.
She sat upon the fountain seat and admired the azaleas coming into bloom. Lilies and bleeding hearts lay in several round beds set amidst the rich green grass. The tall Oleander awaited its turn to bloom in the fall.
When a shadow fell across the pond, she glanced up. A man studied her, his heavy head cocked to the side. After a moment, he said, “You must not remember me, Debra. I’m Dave, Lacy’s ex-husband.”
She stared hard at him as she struggled with feelings of misgivings. He’d proved to be a bit of a leech with Lacy and less than honest with Debra. Since the last time she’d seen him, he’d grown stockier and his hair had turned entirely gray.
“What do you want?” she asked, placing a protective hand on her pearls.
